Author
Topic: Book Thread Continued

Just finished the first of three stories in The Chronicles of the Black Company. I enjoyed it. I tried reading the second story right after but the time skip makes things feel weird after just finishing the first. I think I will wait a few weeks and then read the second part.

American Gods is good. Weird but good. Currently around the half way mark.

So far, the reading is brisk and enjoyable. It's YA fiction so the descriptions aren't as vivid or detailed as in Lord of the Rings or Song of Ice and Fire but they serve their purpose. Divergent resonated with me more than the Hunger Games films so I wanted to read those first. I'll eventually read Hunger Games.

I kinda wonder if books like Divergent or Hunger Games could be thought of as the 1984, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451 for this generation of young adults.

Read The Silla Project by John C. Brewer, a fairly engaging book about an American scientist wrongfully convicted and imprisoned but broken out by North Koreans and brought to their homeland to make nuclear weapons. I'm also working on the Dirt Pitt novels by Clive Cussler and have fairly enjoyed them.

I just finished the first Divergent book. I enjoyed it and definitely want to read the others. However, I think I liked the movie better. It scripted a lot of things in a more sensible way than the book. For example:

In the book, Tris "breaking" the simulations was encouraged. Whereas in the movie, that was seen as Divergent and thus would make her more highly suspect. So the movie had Four train her to "think like a Dauntless" to overcome the fear simulations the Dauntless way. For example, when she did Four's fear landscape and they were in his fear of heights. She said "it's not real, just jump." And Four said, "No! A Divergent would jump. A Dauntless would [do whatever it is a Dauntless does]. I get the feeling that I'll like the Hunger Games books better than the movies (which were solid) but I'll probably like the Divergent movies better than the books (which are solid so far).

EDIT: I also read that Brandon Sanderson novella Legion. I liked the concept and everything, but it felt rushed. It could have been more detailed (especially in its worldbuilding) and the writing style felt too YA.

And I picked up a free sample of the Maze Runner collection (this sample has the first 8-10 chapters of book 1). I did not think I was going to like it because the trailer to the movie didn't interest me and the plot and premise seemed very cliched. But I'm getting into it, because the writing style is engaging.

Finished The Wrong Girl, a Victorian paranormal fantasy novel about a girl locked in her home's attic by her earl father until Jack, a fire-conjurer, breaks her out and takes her to a place called the Freak House. Enjoyable, and I tend to prefer books written in the first person.

Still working on the Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler as well, and am on the tenth one.

A lot of Dorne in this book and a lot of Kings Landing. Which is fine with me, I liked Dorne and I liked the new characters. Prince Doran and Arianne, Ser Arys and the Sand Snakes. Though there was very little of the Sand Snakes in the book as a whole. We were introduced to them near the start, then Doran locked them in a tower and I never saw them again. I thought they were gonna have a big role to play, but that went to Arianne.

King's Landing with Cersei were fun chapters. Basically drunk as fuck Cersei paranoid and seeing enemies in every shadow. Sending people she doesn't like down to Qyburn for unknown but apparently incredibly prolonged and gruesome experiments ala Joseph Mengele. The sparrows are an interesting development. Extreme religious zealots with an army. Nicht su gut.

Sam was on a boat for about 3/4 of the book. The only thing really to note of his voyege was the death of Measter Aemon, which is very sad. I liked him a lot as a character. He got very prophetic there towards the end.

Arya is doing interesting stuff in Braavos. As far as I can see, the name changes, the information gathering, learning to control her face, it seems to be leading her to being a Faceless Man. I may be wrong though. Last I saw her she was blind.

Sansa needs to kill Robert Arryn pretty soon. Sometimes I wish I could throw him through the Moon Door myself. He has a mark on his back now anyway, since Littlefinger is marrying Sansa off to Roberts heir should he die.

Greyjoys. Lots more Greyjoys. Vicatarion chpaters are the least interesting. Asha and sea-water drinking Damphair guy are more interesting. Asha because she's good a sharp tongue, and Damphair because he's fucking crazy. Crows Eye seems like a bit of a twat, but at least he's interesting.

Brienne and Podrick. I...I'm devastated. Brienne is one of my favourite characters. Lady Stoneheart...she lives up to her name. You've changed Cat, you've changed. I'm still holding hope that she's alive. We have no conformation that her and Pod are dead. (I really don't care about Ser Hyle, though I'm glad that septon got set free, he was a cool guy. And Dog too.)

A Feast for Crows def. had some interesting side-plots. I'm a little over a third way through A Dance With Dragons, which I've been told is supposed to run parallel to A Feast for Crows in terms of the general timeline of the A Song of Fire and Ice series, so I won't spoil anything for ya Starmongoose.

I think (personally) what I'm starting to expect from the books is to enjoy the ride and not expect every small plotline/minor house/supporting character's goals and ambitions to be completely fleshed out by the time the book series wraps up, but to just enjoy the ride per say.

There's been so much hoopla on the internet about the HBO show surpassing Book 5 in the next season lately, but I'm happy to say that Mr. Martin said at San Diego Comic Con last weekend that he would not be directing an episode of the show for the first time this upcoming 5th season and choosing instead to sit out and finish Book 6, "The Winds of Winter." See http://www.vulture.com/2014/07/george-rr-martin-winds-of-winter-over-show.html(may contain spoilers so beware)

So there's a good chance we might see The Winds of Winter out next year instead of waiting a few more years for it (keeping fingers crossed). Until then there's the Westeros encylopedia coming out sometime this fall which is supposed to be packed with a ton of history from past wars, lineage, events, etc.